More Great Gift Ideas

Here are more gift ideas for the holidays. As in the first post, these items are interesting, uncommon, clever, affordable and sure to delight the people on your gift list.

Niaouli Butter Stick - I've never run across an ointment or cream that smells as wonderful as this butter stick. It's a blend of oils and butters in a soy base that quickly absorbs into skin to moisturize and heal. This and other Skin Free products are ideal for delicate and sensitive skin, and are cruelty-free, vegan and contain no perfumes or harmful chemicals; I recently took some to my Mom when she was in the hospital and it was very calming to her dry skin and helped erase the "hospital smell." A one oz. stick is $7.99 and free shipping is currently available for purchases of $25 or more at skinfree.net

Capri Blue Zip ID Case - Vera Bradley remains a popular brand of handbags, totes, umbrellas, stationery, travel gear and more. My 15-year-old daughter and her friends like it; I own a toiletries set and wallet; I see college students carrying the backpacks. Obviously, the appeal extends across ages and lifestyles. Although the Zip ID usually costs $10 (a great price for a popular brand), the Capri Blue design is being retired and has been marked down to $5 (the Capri Blue Clip Zip ID is only $4). Take a peek at verabradley.com

"Procrastinators" t-shirt - A great t-shirt is always a good gift and some of the best I've seen in ages can be found at threadless.com. I'm a big fan of the "Type Tees" - be sure to check out the haiku shirt! Prices usually run $12 - 15.

Cinnamon Toothpicks - Looking for a nostalgic gift? Experts tell us that the more senses you affect, the stronger the impact you make. Cinnamon toothpicks instantly transport me back to 9th grade, when my best friend and I used to make these by soaking wooden picks in cinnamon oil. If we didn't have time to make them, we'd buy a small paper packet of 15 or 20 amd chew on the toothpicks till our mouths burned. Take your walk down memory lane at oldtimecandy.com, where a tube of 15 toothpicks is 99 cents or a box of 20 tubes (each with 15 toothpicks) runs $15.99. The website also sells oldies but goodies like Necco wafers, Fruit Stripe gum and wax lips.

Thinking About Black Friday Makes Me Blue

Next week is the official start of the Christmas shopping season and I'm dreading it. Our gift budget is about $25 and that needs to cover our two teenaged kids, ten or so relatives, 18 to 20 dear friends, the mail carrier, paper delivery person, teachers, neighbors and who knows how many others. A little quick math and our per-person budget is 25 to 50 cents (if they're lucky).

This year Black Friday will be Bleak Friday. Black-and-blue Friday. Singin' the Blues Friday. Not just for retailers, but for me, you and lots of people we know. It's just not going to be the Christmas we'd prefer to have.

But maybe I can help: During the year when I stumble across good gift ideas, I add them to my list (yes, I keep a list because my memory is shot). Most of the items are affordable, and more importantly, they are interesting, uncommon, clever. Keep visiting, because I'll be posting items almost daily.

Please note: I'm not a salesperson and don't get paid for mentioning these items. They're listed here because I like them, period. If companies start sending me samples to review or list, I'll tell you. But I'm not indebted to anyone and my opinions are unbiased.

I'm also going to include ideas for homemade gifts - some fun, some thoughtful or sentimental. These kinds of gifts often prove to be the most meaningful and memorable. After all, when you can't make the holidays cheery and bright by opening your wallet, you can open your heart and achieve something even more magical.

Fortune Cookie Journal - Teenagers actually like these! I've given two as gifts to teenagers (16 year olds; one boy, one girl) and both thought the journal was very cool. $8 each at spoonsisters.com

You Park Like S*** static cling parking critiques - What cynic wouldn't love these? This is another product that I gave as gifts and each recipient howled with laughter. Not appropriate for everyone, but the Type As in your life will enjoy putting them to use. Be sure to read the full description on the product page. $5 for a pack of six, by Mixed Species on etsy.com

Monogram Address Labels - My friend, Carolyn, told me about these labels, which she gave to her neighbors last Christmas. I gratefully stole her idea and bought some myself. The Monogram labels are $10 for 100; basic styles are just $8 for 250 - and the quality is very good. I also bought personalized postcard notes for my teenagers from American Stationery and my strategy worked - they're FINALLY writing thank you notes!. The site offers loads of classy personalized notes, labels, stickers, napkins, etc. Visit americanstationery.com

Flying Wish Paper - Everyone has dreams and wishes, and this fabulous gift encourages you to look to the future and be hopeful. Each $15 packet of Flying Wish Paper comes with 50 sheets of paper (on which you write your wish), 25 wish platforms (on which you place and set fire to your configured wish paper), matches, pencils and instructions. You burn the wish paper and it rises in the air, then slowly floats down when the flame is extinguished. My description just doesn't do this justice: Visit flyingwishpaper.com to see instructions and photos. I gave this to a friend who was getting remarried (she and the groom both had children from a previous marriage, and the gift was intended for the newly blended family). The positive message is good karma during our tough times.